Skid for tubular furniture

ABSTRACT

A SKID FOR TUBULAR FURNITURE SERVING TO IMPLEMENT THE FACILITY WITH WHICH SUCH TUBULAR FURNITURE SUCH AS A FOLDING IR LOUNGE CHAIR MAY BE MOVED OVER A LAWN OR BEACH WHERE THE CHAIR IS USED. THE SKID IS FORMED OF A SKI SHAPED DISH OR SHOE HAVING ROUNDED EDGES, AND IS ARCUATE IN TRANSVERSE AND LONGITUDINAL CROSS SECTION. AN ATTACHING MEMBER CHANNEL EXTENDS LONGITUDINALLY OF THE SKID, AND AN ATTACHING MEMBER FORMED EITHER IN THE SHAPE   OF A HOLLOW VERTICALLY EXTENDING SLEEVE, OR A TRUNCATED TRIANGULAR BLOCK WITH A HROIZONTALLY EXTENDING BORE IS SECURED TO THE SKI-SHOE, THE VERTICALLY EXTENDING SLEEVE BEING USED FOR FURNITURE HAVING VERTICAL LEGS WITHOUT LOWER EXTERMITY CROSS BRACING, AND THE TRUNCATED CONE ATTACHMENT BEING UTILIZED WITH ITEMS OF FURNITURE HAVING A BOTTOM CROSS BAR.

NOV. 30, 1971 p, M, MAZUR SKID FOR TUBULAR FURNITURE Filed umh 26. 1996 INVENTOR 3 PAUL M. MAZUR ATTORNEY.

Patented Nov. 30, 1971 3,623,184 SKID FOR TUBULAR FURNITURE Paul M. Mazur, 1 William St., New York, N.Y. 10004 Filed Mar. 26, 1970, Ser. No. 22,956 Int. Cl. 136% 33/00 US. Cl. 16-42 7 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A skid for tubular furniture serving to implement the facility with which such tubular furniture such as a folding or lounge chair may be moved over a lawn or beach where the chair is used. The skid is formed of a ski shaped dish or shoe having rounded edges, and is arcuate in transverse and longitudinal cross section. An attaching member channel extends longitudinally of the skid, and an attaching member formed either in the shape of a hollow vertically extending sleeve, or a truncated triangular block with a horizontally extending bore is secured to the ski-shoe, the vertically extending sleeve being used for furniture having vertical legs without lower extremity cross bracing, and the truncated cone attachment being utilized with items of furniture having a bottom cross bar.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to the art of furniture skids, and more particularly to an improved skid, adapted for fabrication by plastic molding techniques, for utilization in connection with tubular furniture. It is understood that the term tubular furniture is to be understood as designating furniture made up of elongate elements whether hollow or solid, and whether circular in crosssection, or of any other cross-section.

A variety of tubular furniture has been evolved for use as outdoor furniture, such for example as lawn or beach chairs, or the like. Such outdoor furniture is generally collapsable.

In use, this furniture is generally positioned at some location in an outdoor area, either on a patio, or lawn, or on the beach, and with the shifting sun, or with changing social groupings, it is often found desirable to move the furniture from one location to the other.

Because of the collapsible nature of the furniture, the chair often collapses on being moved, or alternatively, the roughnessof the terrain prevents free sliding of the chair over a lawn or beach. This is particularly true where the terrain is relatively soft, and during periods of use, the furniture has sunk intothe terrain.

Though a variety of furniture skids are old and well known in the art, such skids have not been employed in connection with tubular furniture, since this tubular furniture is generally relatively inexpensive, and the cost of providing such furniture with skids becomes economically prohibitive.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION It is with the above problems and considerations in mind, that the present improved skid has been evolved, particularly adapted for use in connection with tubular furniture, subject to relatively inexpensive fabrication, and requiring relatively little manipulative effort in positioning of the skid in connection with the item of furniture.

It is accordingly among the primary objects of this invention to provide an improved skid particularly adapted for use in connection with tubular furniture.

Another object of the invention is to provide a skid which will minimize the likelihood of the furniture sinking into the terrain in connection with which the furniture is used.

A further object of the invention is to provide a skid which may be inexpensively fabricated and sold.

Another object of the invention is to provide a furniture skid which may be readily positioned in connection with tubular furniture without the exercise of involved manipulative skills or techniques, and subject to installation by the average user.

A further object of the invention is to provide a furniture skid, which will aid in releasing the furniture from the terrain on which it has been positioned, when the furniture legs have sunk into the terrain.

These and other objects of theinvention which will become hereafter apparent are achieved by forming a skid with a ski-shoe of a rounded rectangular contour in plan view, and arcuately upturned in transverse and longitudinal cross section. Additionally, it is preferred that all edges of the ski-shoe be rounded. Formed along the top surface of the shoe on a medial line is an attaching channel having a cross section of greater thickness as compared to the rest of the ski-shoe, and the channel is dimensioned to accommodate one of twotypes of attaching members. One type of attaching member is intended for use with furniture having vertically extending legs, said attaching member being in the form of a closed bottom cylindrical collar and adapted to receive the downwardly extending leg to which it is applied. Another form of attaching member is intended for use in connedtion with those items of tubular furniture having horizontally extending cross pieces at the lower ends thereof, with said attaching member dimensioned to lie within the channel, and formed preferably in the shape of a tr-uncated triangular block with a horizontally extending bore dimensioned to accommodate the lower cross piece to the item of furniture.

A feature of the invention resides in the fact that the same ski-shoe, which may preferably be molded by conventional inexpensive plastic molding techniques may be utilized alternatively with either type of attaching member.

Another feature of the invention resides in the fact that the attaching members aredesigned for press-fit attachment to the legs of the item of furniture in connection with which the skid is employed.

A further feature of the invention resides in the fact that the arcuate contour of the ski-shoe facilitates dis: placement of the furniture to which the skid is applied from any ruts in the ground into which the furniture may have sunk.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The specific details of a preferred embodiment of the invention, and their mode of functioning will be particularly pointed out in clear, concise, and exact terms in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is an exploded elevational perspective view of the novel skid for use on an item of furniture having a horizontal lower cross member;

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective elevational view of the skid for use on an item of furniture having vertically extending leg members;

FIG. 3 is a cross sectional view taken on a longitudinal axis through the skid of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a cross sectional elevational View taken through the attaching member of FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is a transverse cross section through the skishoe;

FIG. 6 is a schematic stick figure view of a typical folding chair in conjunction with which the novel skid is employed showing the skid applied; and

FIG. 7 is a stick figure view similar to FIG. 6 showing the position of the skid as the chair is being moved.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring now more particularly to the drawings, like numerals in the various figures will be employed to des ignate like parts.

As seen in the drawings, the skid 10 is formed with a ski-shoe 15, as best seen in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3. This skishoe is of a rounded rectangular contour in plan view, and is preferably molded of one of the conventionally available plastics. The ski-shoe is formed with upturned leading and trailing edges 17 and 19 respectively, and with a central thickened channel portion 22 from which lateral wings 24 and 25 of uniform cross section as seen in FIG. 5 extend. As seen in FIG. 5, the-wings 24 and 25 are molded integrally with the channel portion 22, with the lower surface of the ski-shoe of an arcuate contour in transverse section so that the wings 24 and 25 extend slightly upwardly from the central channel portion 22. The thickened central channel portion 22 is formed with upstanding flanges 27 and 28, as seen in FIGS. 1, 2 and 5. These flanges 27 and 28 are spaced apart at a distance greater than the diameter of the tubes of which the furniture to be supported is fabricated, for a purpose to become hereinafter apparent. A non-threaded aperture 29 is arranged at the midpoint of the ski-shoe 15. Each of the edges, both lateral, front and rear are preferably rounded. Flanges 27 and 28 are preferably straight at the top, and transition into the arcuately contoured top surface of the ski-shoe, as best seen in FIG. 3.

Inthe embodiment of the invention illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 3, the attaching member is of a block shaped truncated triangular configuration, as best seen in FIGS. 1 and 3. It Will be noted that the lower surface of the attaching member 30 is arcuately contoured with the same radius of curvature as the longitudinal radius of curvature of the ski-shoe 15, and is of a thickness such as to provide a press fit between the channel flanges 27 and 28. A threaded aperture 33 is formed in the bottom of the attaching block 30. The block 30 is formed with a horizontal bore 35 of a dimension to accommodate a tube of the diameter of which the typical tubular lawn furniture is fabricated, approximately one inch being the usual 0D. A V-shaped entry slot 37 is formed at the upper truncated end of the attaching block 30 which intersects the bore 35. A V-shaped slot with an 80 angle between the legs of the V has been found to provide satisfactory results. The dimensions and material of the block are such that a standard horizontal tubular support member may readily be wedged into entry slot 27 and snapped into the bore 35. In practice, it has been found that a 1%" thick block, approximately three inches at its base provides desired spring action for insertion of the tubular member, with the block molded of conventional plastics used in injection molding techniques.

In the embodiment of the invention illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 4, the attaching member 40 is employed in lieu of the attaching member 30 to accommodate vertically extending legs on the furniture. This attaching member 40 is in the nature of a cylindrical sleeve of a diameter to fit between flanges 27 and 28, and is formed with a closed lower end 41 having a recess 42 formed therein.

The bottom 41, as best seen in FIG. 4 is preferably formed with an annular recess 44, with the internal diameter of the attaching member sleeve 40 dimensioned to accommodate the usual tubular leg of tubular fumiture, with the annular recess 44 forming a seat for the lower rim of the leg inserted into the sleeve 40.

Assembly of the ski-shoe 15 to attaching member 30, or attaching member 40 is accomplished preferably by means of a headed self tapping screw 45 having the threaded end 46 thereof engaging in recess 33 of attaching member 30, or recess 42 of attaching member 40.

OPERATION In use, the aforedescribed skid 10 may be employed in connection with a variety of different types of furniture whether attached to a horizontally extending cross member, or a vertically extending leg.

As illustrated in FIG. 6, the skid is shown as attached to the rear legs of a conventional folding chair.

Where attachment is to a horizontally extending lower cross member, the attaching member 30 is wedged between the fianges 27 and 28 of the ski-shoe 15, and attaching screw 45 is inserted through the aperture 29 and ski-shoe ,15 into threaded engagement in aperture 33 of the attached block 30. Thereafter, the horizontal member is positioned in the V slot 37, and forced downwardly until it snaps into the bore 35.

Where the skid 10 is intended for use in connection with an item of tubular furniture having vertically extending legs, the attaching member 40 is employed in lieu of attaching member 30, with the attaching member 40 secured between the flanges 27 and 28 to the ski-shoe 15 by inserting attaching screw 45 through ski-shoe aperture 29 into threaded engagement with aperture. 42. Thereafter the assembled skid is positioned beneath the leg of the member to be supported, and the tubular leg is forced into the sleeve attaching member 40 until it seats in the annular recess 44. If desired a set screw may be employed to insure securement.

In use, as shown in FIG. 7, it will be observed that when it is desired to move an item of furniture such as a tubular chaise as illustrated, gripping the front of the chaise tilts the skid so that a different portion of its arcuate surface comes in contact with the earth, grass, or beach on which the chaise may be found. This serves the purpose of unlocking the chaise from any ruts which have been made as a result of its contact with the ground, and facilitates easy movement of the chaise to another location. The rounded contour of theskid in addition to providing the wedging unlocking action also serves to provide a rocking action during movement facilitating riding over any terrain irregularities.

What is claimed is:

1. A skid for tubular furniture, said skid comprising: an elongate substantially planar ski-shoe molded as an integral unit having a lower surface arcuate in transverse and longitudinal cross section, and of a surface area larger than the surface area of the lower extremity of the leg of the item of furniture to be supported; a central thickened channel portion having upstanding flanges at the lateral extremities thereof spaced apart a distance greater than the distance across the lowest extremity of the leg; and an attaching member secured to said skishoe on said channel portion between said flanges, said attaching member having gripping surfaces adapted to be press fit into engagement with the lower extremities of the item of furniture to be supported.

2. A skid as in claim 1 in which the edges of said skishoe are rounded.

3. A skid as in claim 1 in which said attaching member comprises a hollow cylindrical sleeve having an internal diameter dimensioned to accommodate the leg of an item of tubular furniture to be supported.

4. A skid as in claim 3 in which said cyindrical sleeve has a closed lower end with an internal annular recess forming a seat for the lower end of a furniture leg in serted into said sleeve.

5. A skid for tubular furniture, said skid comprising: an elongate ski-shoe having a lower surface arcuate in transverse and longitudinal cross-section, and of a surface area larger than the surface area of the lower extremity of the leg of the item of furniture to be supported; and an attaching member comprising a block having a horizontally extending bore of a dimension to accommodate a tube of the diameter of the tube of which the legs of the furniture to be supported are formed, and a V- shaped slot extending from the top of the block into said bore, whereby a horizontally lower cross member on the furniture to be supported may be wedged into said slot and snapped into said bore.

6. A skid as in claim 5 in which said block is formed 6 with an arcuate lower surface of a radius of curvature like that of the upper surface of said ski-shoe.

7. A skid as in claim 5 in which said ski-shoe is formed with a longitudinally extending central channel on the top surface thereof, and said block fits within said channel.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,672,679 3 1954 Morgan 16--42 FOREIGN PATENTS 499,361 1/ 1939 Great Britain l6-42 T BOBBY R. GAY, Primary Examiner D. L. TROUTMAN, Assistant Examiner 

